Result: Region 14 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Circle, Montana

Post Date: Jul 1, 2021

Submitted By: Dave Noell

CIRCLE, MONT. -- At the conclusion of the trials at Winnett, Mont., the trip was made to the grounds outside Circle, Mont., to conduct the Region 14 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship.

These grounds are well known to trialers from every part of the country. They are famous both for their beauty and robust wild bird numbers. This spring found the area in need of moisture, with little evidence of a spring green-up. The bird situation was not yet impacted by the dry conditions, as there were many birds both found and seen as the trial progressed.

Our judges this year were Jim Tande, who had just made his way north from his winter base in Georgia, and John McIlltrot who hails from the Broadview, Mont., area. Both gentleman have many years of experience with field trials, both judging and competing.

As with the trial in Winnett, my newly purchased recorder let me down. So I can't report the performances for each brace. My apologies.

As noted earlier, there were many pieces of bird work recorded by dogs during the trial. Some of the work worked to the dogs' credit; some of it ended their bid.

THE WINNERS

The winning performance came from brace No. 7: Touch's Katrina, eighth-year-old white and orange pointer female, owned and handled by Austin Turley from Molt Mont.

Katrina ran on the first course on the second day. She got her hour started by hunting ever forward, swinging smoothly with her handler for the entire hour. Her first find occurred in the northeast corner of the first CRP field. Everything was well in order. She took an unproductive a few minutes later in the same field. She had a clean stop to flush as the course was leaving the CRP field.

After crossing the road, the course skirts a set of caragana rows. Katrina pointed downwind from the closest row. The first flushing attempt produced nothing. She was released to relocate and while doing so, birds lifted well ahead of her. She stopped at the flush and was shot over. She continued hunting pleasingly forward through the horse pasture and then entered the second set of treerows. She took them from end to end, showing nicely turning to the front. As the hour closed, birds were seen in the air. Katrina was found standing, more birds lifting as her handler approached. She stood proudly for the shot, finishing a very compelling hour.

It was yet another dog owned by Austin that was named runner-up -- Touch's Diamante, no stranger to the winners' circle. "Sam" ran in the brace just after the champion. He began with a find next to the airstrip. A sharptail flushed as the handler and judge rode to the stand. After crossing the air strip, point was called by Austin at 18; sharptails produced in front of his dog. Shortly after, Austin saw a bird in the air, rode to the area and saw his dog standing. When informed, the judge did not have the bird. Austin chose to flush. This ended as an unproductive for Sam.

He finished the hour hunting strongly. The difference between to two winning dogs was Katrina's ground race flowed effortlessly, ever forward. Sam's ground race was very strong, but there were more rough edges to it.

The winners were both sired by Touch's White Out, from two different litters, Diamante whelped June 10, 2012 and Katrina, October 13, 2012.

White Out won the National Championship in February, 2011 as a first year dog, and claimed the Purina Top Dog Award for the 2010-2011 season.

Circle, Mont., April 22

Judges: Jim Tande and John McIlltrot

REGION 14 AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIOINSHIP

[One-Hour Heats] -- 14 Pointers, 5 Setters and 1 German Shorthair

Winner--TOUCH'S KATRINA, 1654628, pointer female, by Touch's White Out--House's Proud Mary. Austin Turley, owner and handler.

Runner Up-- TOUCH'S DIAMANTE, 1651518, pointer male, by Touch's White Out--Henson's Go Girl. Austin Turley, owner and handler.